The War on Guns...oh, the irony...

I have been trying, very hard, to avoid any kind of truly controversial or political post...I just can't do it, anymore.

Am I the only one who has noticed the increase of firearm legislation, across the US?

Not really a big deal, in my opinion. So, I have 3 less rounds in my magazine...who cares?

Something else I've noticed is that there are a lot of "Mass Shootings" going around, lately.

***Now, I want to go on record saying that I am NOT belittling the tragedy of the deaths of children and innocent people.*** I'm not a complete asshole.

The Telegraph has an article up that details the number of Mass Shootings in the past 12 months, (I'll post a link to that story, below) starting with Sandy Hook Elementary, in December of 2012, and ending with a shooting in Topeka, KS, on December 1st, 2013. Not all of the Mass Shootings made headlines, which is tragic in itself. The media only covers the high-profile shootings, because Ratings!

Aurora Theater was a Mass Shooting.

LAX was not, yet the media still used the phrase...

M.S.'s are described as FOUR OR MORE people being killed in a single incident.

We've had 23, in 12 months, resulting in over 100 deaths.

The problem is not the guns. The problem is lack of training and education. The problem is the people.

I own a firearm. I've been shooting since I was 6-years-old. My first gun was a little air-powered pellet rifle. My father and my brother made sure that it was never within my reach unless they were around, and they were never more than a foot away from me, while it was in my hands. That's Responsible Gun Ownership.

I fired my first "real" gun, a .22 caliber rifle, at the age of eight (8). It took four more years before I had anything more powerful than that in my hands. Why? My father wanted to make sure that I understood every working detail about guns, and how powerful they are, and that they are not to be used on another person, unless my life is truly in danger.

I was taught to never, ever touch the trigger until I was locked onto a target, and to never, ever target anything I didn't intend to kill. I was taught that I held another being's life in my hands, whether a squirrel or a person, as soon as I aimed the gun at it. I learned how big that responsibility is.

I learned how to clean and care for a weapon...and I learned what the word "weapon" means. I was taught to never fear guns, but to respect their power. Dad told me that when a firearm was in my hand, I could be the most powerful person in the room, or the most cowardly, and it was up to me to decide who I was. My father didn't raise a coward.

These people who decide to settle an argument by killing the other person are cowards.

These people who decide to open fire on a group of unarmed citizens are cowards.

There is no reason to ever kill another human being, ever, especially a coward. You know what you get when you shoot a coward in this country? A medal. (Whaaaa?)

My father taught me that, even if I'm angry, (or maybe especially if I'm angry), a firearm is not to be drawn unless the intent is the death of the other party. I have never fired upon another human. I have drawn my weapon, ONCE, in the 20 plus years I've been handling them. The situation never escalated to the point of pulling the trigger, because I had the power, and I didn't take the cowardly way out. It was that simple. Once the situation de-escalated, the gun went away, and so did the other person.

There are some cases where the gunman in these mass shootings had PTSD or other psychological issues. That speaks to the level of mental care in this country, not to the lack of gun safety. The Naval Yard Shooting might have been prevented with proper care.

The problem with the lack of firearm education and training is fueling all kinds of political agendas. Politicians, across the country, are promising that if we give up our guns, our children will be safe in their beds, and at school, and the movie theater. I don't agree.

You know why there were fewer shootings, like the 23 we had this year, in the 1950-60s?

Firearm safety was taught in public schools.

Whoa. Blew your mind, right there, didn't I?

The same education that I received from my father, a Responsible Gun Owner, nearly every child in America received, in school.

Why are we not still doing this?

Probably for the same reason "Under God" was taken out of our pledge (which is ok...since it wasn't IN the pledge until 1954, anyway); probably for the same reason there's no morning prayer in our schools, anymore...probably for the same reason our children aren't allowed to play tag, or hold hands on the playground...and the reason they all get Participation Trophies...(don't even get me started on that BS).

This country has become a group of whiners. We're all too afraid to offend someone, so we decide to offend everyone, instead. We walk on eggshells. We don't speak our minds. We've learned to fear the truth, unless it's told by reporters...at which point it is no longer TRUE. It's spun and it's got an agenda attached to it and it just crap, as soon as the media gets a hold on it.

It's a sad state of affairs...

We're all cowards and unless someone (by that, I mean everyone) stands up to the bullies, the degenerates, the assholes, and the politicians, we're going to die a coward's death: on someone else's terms.



The Telegraph's article:  http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10516913/Interactive-graphic-the-23-US-mass-shootings-since-Sandy-Hook.html

Note: The opinions expressed in this blog are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Blogger, Google, The Telegraph, or any other sites/companies mentioned herein.

Take that lawyers! :P

On a Roll

I'm in the mood to write, tonight. The problem is, I can't pick a topic. I could go political and talk about how much the government is screwing the American people. I could talk about religion. I could rant, some more, about my douchebag ex.

Meh.

Oh, I know!

Cops.

No, not the TV show.

I like cops. I grew up around bikers and truckers, in a trailer park full of alcoholics and degenerates, but I like cops. (and firemen, and military boys...what? I'm not blind!)

In all the times I've been contacted by the police, I've come across maybe two assholes in the bunch.

I think my earliest memory of Police, and probably when I learned that they are just as human as the rest of us, comes from when I was about 4 or 5.

We lived in a trailer park, at the edge of a huge field, with a Federal Maximum Security Prison, on the opposite edge. (Florence, CO, if anyone cares.) There was a break-out. It happens more than you'd think, considering the huge fences and dozens of armed guards patrolling the perimeter.

Anyway!

There was a break-out, at the BOP Supermax. I didn't really understand what was going on, except that mom had all the windows closed and I wasn't allowed to go outside. (Not fair!) There was a knock at the door. S.W.A.T. was on the other side. He told Mom that he had to check the house, because the inmate was last seen headed our direction. We were cleared, obviously.

The guys are all congregation in our driveway, after sweeping the park, and one of them yells. The inmate was spotted in the field behind the house. SWAT scatters and starts hauling ass toward the field, jumping the front fence, running through the yard, then jumping the back fence. My mom rushes outside to warn them:

"Watch out for the-"  SPLASH! "-ditch behind the house..."

I giggled. Mom tried not to, but it was hard, seeing a man in full riot gear, covered head-to-toe, in mud, dripping wet and looking absolutely...miserable. Red clay mud. Sticky, thick, gets-into-every-pore kind of mud. (Awesome Mud Pie mud!) The LT is leaning against the back of the trailer, laughing his ass off. The Mud Man crawls out of the ditch, and mom manages to hand him a rag between her giggles.

"That'll teach you to be aware your surroundings," Mom tells him, causing the LT to laugh even harder.

I got a kick out of seeing it. I was a kid. What kid wouldn't laugh when someone fell into the mud? What strikes me now, a few years later, is that my mother gave him hell for it. She didn't hide her laughter for long, and as she helped him get cleaned up, she poked fun at him, just like she would have if it were me, or my brother, or anyone else who had fallen into the irrigation ditch behind the house.

She set the standard that I try to follow, today.

I noticed, a few weeks back, that one of our local cops got a new car. So, instead of simply acknowledging it to myself, I said, "Hey! You got the new one, huh?" He kind of grins like he's really excited about it and nods.

"You got the new fancy LED lights, too?" Another nod and smile.

"Can I see em?" I ask with a big grin, and just like a little kid showing off a new toy, turns on the lights and launches into explaining why they are as cool as they are.

See? People, just like us.

I have a lot friends who hate cops. Most of them have done jail time. There are a lot of people who are afraid of cops, which I don't understand. They're doing their job, getting paid far less than they should, to protect people, and their community. They get blamed for bullshit laws. Well, here's the thing: they don't write the laws, they simply enforce them. Hence the title: Law Enforcement Officer.

You have a problem with the laws, take it up with your Congressmen.

They're the real assholes.

Shifting Gears

I hate, hate, hate whiny people who always think that they're right and everybody else is wrong. (*shuffles feet* No, not me. I know I'm always right...there's a difference. :P)

I have a FB friend, whom I've been friends with for a while. She's a sweet woman but a little over-dramatic about some things. It happens. It's happened to me. Not a big deal. Anyways...to get to the point of this particular rant:

People who cannot drive, park, or otherwise operate a motor vehicle in a correct manner, piss me off! It's really not all that difficult to learn how long and wide your vehicle is, and maneuver it, accordingly. It's not that hard (or it shouldn't be) to know where your skill level is, and not to put other people's lives at risk, because of your pride.

You! In that gigantic pickup! Yes, I realize you have a lift kit and 36" tires, but you don't need half of my lane, too... I promise, if a Kenworth can fit in one lane, so can your Dodge. Just sayin'. 

You! In the compact coupe! I know the road can be a little intimidating when your the smallest thing out there, but I gave you plenty of room to slip in front of me, safely. Please, don't slam on your brakes right before you merge. You're gonna kill someone!

You, southern boy, who hasn't seen a flake of snow in his life, living in the North! Please, for the love of all that's holy, stay off the roads when it's icy! Don't assume that, just because you have a four-wheel drive, you;re going to be able to handle it. Yes, I understand you've been driving for 20 years. Yes, I understand that you've never had an accident. I get it. However, four-wheel drive does NOT mean four-wheel stop. Take a winter driving class, or stay off the damn road!

You! In the truck! (I love pick-up drivers... -_-) Just because you have a truck, does not mean you're going to make it through three-feet of running water. Stop trying it! You'll either A.) get stuck and put someone else's life at risk, when they try to rescue your dumb ass, or B.) suck water into your motor and kill your truck, then get pissed off at the city for not having "proper drainage"...mother-effer, if you has just stopped, or taken a different route, instead of trying to show off your manliness, you wouldn't have this problem.

Then there are the ones who drive too slow, or too fast...the ones who signal way too early, or not at all...the ones who leave their damn blinker on for 50 miles *twitch*...and...then there's my Facebook friend: *sigh*

She drives the Nissan. She is pissed off because the trucker got too close to her car.

Now, I'm not going to say what I believe is the problem, here. Take a look at the photo and tell me what you think made me laugh...

(The trucker is parked, length-wise, along the backend of the parking lot, where they should be, taking up multiple parking spaces...no that's not the issue I see. I'm just putting that out there for those who over-think things...people like me!)

Damn, he got close, didn't he? LOL! At least he know how big his vehicle is!

Stereotypes, round 2! FIGHT!

I'm up late, and as is usual, I am browsing Facebook, just droning away the time. 

Yesterday, I wrote about what women are expected to be like, according to men...Today, I'm going to flip it.

Women are just as bad as men when it comes to stereotyping. I'm guilty of it, and most of my friends are also guilty of it. 

Men are supposed to be sex machines. They're supposed to know about cars, and be good at First Person Shooter video games. They're supposed to hairy, and strong, and emotionless. Men are good at fixing things, and breaking them. They have short tempers, and they're generally just assholes.

Right?

Men don't fall in love. They fall in "need"...or lust. Men cannot put aside their need for sex, to think rationally about their lives. After all, they only have enough blood to run one head at a time, right? 

I came across the following writing, and it made me stop and think...hopefully it does the same for you:

""I once met a girl who made me believe in true love. 

She was what I always dreamed about, what I never thought I’d actually have. 
She made me smile like never before, and gave me hope amidst all of my troubles. 
Nothing else mattered but her hand in mine through it all.
Nothing else mattered. 
I was in love, and it was the best feeling ever.

So I ignored the signs.
I ignored her increasing disinterest in what I had to say.
I ignored her irritability towards my flaws.
I ignored her lack of gratitude for all that I did for her.
I ignored everything that told me she wasn’t perfect.
Everything that told me this love I felt wasn’t real.

Then the day came when I could no longer lie to myself.
The truth slapped me in the face like no physical pain ever could.
I was crying on her porch, locked up in the fetal position.
She just stood over me, asking me to please stop.
I couldn’t just stop.
She was everything to me, and I was about to lose her forever.
I begged her to stay, I promised to be better.
But her mind was made up.
She had already moved on.

It’s been about five months since the day she broke up with me.
I used to think that it was her that I missed so deeply.
I have now come to realize that is not the truth.
What I miss is how I felt when I was with her.
How it feels to know someone will always be there for me.
How it feels to give every bit of my heart to someone unconditionally.
How it feels to have such blind faith in another human being.
How it feels to be in love.

I’m afraid now.
I’m afraid that how I felt with her won’t happen again.
I’m afraid that next time I won’t be so naive.
I’m afraid that a part of my heart is gone forever.

My only relief is in the hope that maybe one day someone will come along and prove me wrong.
Someone who removes all of my fears and doubts.
Someone who restores my heart’s innocence.
Someone who makes me feel whole again.

I can only hope."

By Robert Hemphill.

See, ladies?

Men love as much as we do, if not more.

Men have hearts, just the same as ours.

So what if he can't change the oil in the car? So what if he would rather read than watch sports?

Does he treat you right? Does he make you feel better when you're down? Does he do nice little things for you, just because he wants to see you smile?

Think it over, before you drop him for not fitting your preconceived notion of what men "should" be...

Let him be the man that he is.

Wow...Stereotype, much?

I have an online dating profile. A lot of us do, at this point, so that's not a huge surprise. However, I do get shocked by what men get away with saying in their profiles, on a daily basis. Here are some of my favorites:

"Women don't know what they want..."

"I'll treat you like a Queen..."

"I'm a nice guy, but women don't like nice guys..."

"Just looking for FWB, no drama..."

Taking those one-liners out of context, they aren't so bad.  The first guy's profile went on to say that he would make sure that you got everything you didn't know you wanted. He'd also be so kind as to help you through difficult times, like childbearing, cleaning the house, and...Wait... Is this 1950?

The King, HA!, says that he'll lavish you with fine gifts like jewelry, spa days, and make sure that he does the cooking every now and then, too. He also won't be an absentee Father...Again, DAMMIT! Why can't you just stay out of my damn kitchen and let me raise the children like I'm supposed to do?!

The next one made me giggle all the way through the profile. He claims to be a nice guy. Maybe he is, but being nice and buying a woman's affection are not the same thing. He says he'll spoil his woman with lavish gifts, because being a mother is hard work and "you deserve only the best."... You know what else is hard work? Dealing with douchebags who think that the only thing a woman will ever do that will challenge her is raise children...

"Looking for FWB, no drama". Yeah, right. "I'll take you out somewhere nice and romance you," but he's not looking for drama? Is he sure? If you want to get laid, dude, do what the rest of us do. Pick up some poor schmuck at the bar. Leave the DATING websites to people who want to DATE!

Where do I start?

I don't think any of this is men's fault. They have been conditioned, by the media, by cartoons and comic books, by everyday life, that women are just... "soft". We women haven't done much to change the Ideal, for a long time. Sure, some of us work in "A Man's World," and some of us have more balls than men do, but most of us are lost. I'm not condemning those who chose to stay in the home and be that perfect housewife. Do your thing, if that's what makes you happy, but don't chastise the ones who have chosen not to have children, because they want a career.

There are so many stereotypes out there about women. We're nurturing, we like children, we fall in love easily, we like jewelry and chocolate and flowers, we love make-up and getting our hair and nails done, and we make good nurses, receptionists, and cashiers. Excuse me while I projectile vomit.

There.

That's better.

I don't like kids. I love my niece and nephew, but that "adorable" baby your friend just had? It looks like a pink blob. That screaming toddler isn't "going through a phase", it's just annoying. The 12-year-old girl with an attitude isn't "trying to find herself", she's just being a bitch.

I don't like jewelry, or makeup or getting my hair done. I own four bracelets. Two are Avengers Roxo bracelets, one is a rubber cookie monster thing, and the other is a leather strap. My earrings are 10 gauge, and going up...I haven't worn a ring since I lost my second turtle ring. And I won't wear makeup. Other women claim that it makes them feel better about themselves. I just get self-conscious when I'm done up, so it kind of defeats the purpose...

You know what I'm good at? Fixing shit. I've repaired plumbing, cars, wiring; installed windows and doors, rewired sound systems...most of the stereo-typically MALE things...that's what I'm good at. I love cars, trains, planes, motorcycles...if it has a motor, I'm enthralled by it. I like guns. I like getting dirty. I love hard, back-breaking, work. I enjoy working up a sweat. I cuss, I drink, I smoke. I play bloody, violent video games. And, I love sex.

My first thought, at this point, is to try and soften myself, because men like "Ladies"...*gags*... I could tell you about how feminine I can be, from time to time, and try to make myself more appealing, but I'm not going to. Why? Because fuck you and your stereotypes, that's why! I am me. I'm a selfish, self-righteous bitch, and I get along just fine without a man.

"But you have a dating profile!"

Yes, I do! Glad you noticed! I'm not going to bullshit you into thinking I'm some soft, kind, sweet, "proper" woman, and then have you get all shocked when I crawl under the car to change the oil, with a beer in my hand, belching all the way. I am who I am, and that's all that I am...(I am who I am. I'm a hooligan...sorry, had to finish the lyric)

You can't handle me. That's not a challenge. It's just a fact. A lot of the guys I've met are intrigued that I'm into cars and sports and shooting... They think it'd be nice to take their girlfriend with them to a game, or to the range. It's all fine and dandy, til they tell me to make them dinner, and I say, "Fuck off, your legs ain't broke. Make your own dinner." Then, proceed to sit down with my food and eat in front of them.

You won't handle me. You think you will, but you're wrong.